Winding Down The Gardens

Not yet, not just yet. But thinking about it. Well, truth is, I have begun cutting back some of the perennials that have well spent themselves, and as yet there have been no empty gaps resulting from that. I will, soon enough, begin the serious work of cutting back. There is still ample colour in the gardens, and I don't want to interfere with that. On the other hand, late-bloomers like Echinacea and asters and turtleheads have spread so widely in some places that they've interfered with the needs of sun-loving plants like roses.

It's true, however, that though the roses are continuing to bloom, some of them have their best days behind them - quite apart from their June-spectacular bloom. Where I've taken down much of the still-blooming tickseed, it has hugely benefited the undergrowth of wax begonias, tuberous begonias and dianthus. The lone datura that I permitted to come to maturity is rewarding us with its spectacular white-tubular blooms, lovely and deadly - but who eats them, we merely admire them.

The Japanese quince have now fully matured, and they're hanging there, ready to be plucked for use. Which is fine, if you're really enthusiastic about dry, bitter-tasting fruit; surely they're not really meant for human consumption? Riley, our little apricot poodle, used to pull them off their prickly perches when he was young, and then he would play with them for the longest time, tossing them about as though they were balls especially meant for dogs to play with. He no longer evinces an interest.

The gallardia in the the little garden that contains the datura, is bravely blooming, its bright orange colours, lined with chocolate streaks a lovely counterpart to the Stella d'Oro lilies, and the huge leaves of the lime-coloured hostas on either side of the red-tinged heuchera.